Leverett arthur sanford



(No Model.)

L. A. SANFORD.

I BICYCLE BELL. 4 No. 599,988. Patented Mar. 1, 1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE..-

LEVERETT ARTHUR SANFORD, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DUNBAR BROTHERS, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,988, dated March 1, 1898.

Application 'filed July 20, 1896. Serial No. 599,777. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVERETT ARTHUR SAN- FORD, of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new 5 Improvement in Bells; and I do hereby despecification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a sectional View of a bell constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan View thereof with the gong removed and the gong-post shown in section; Fig. 3, a similar view with the striker engaged with the gong-post; Fig. 4, a similar View showing the vibration of the flexible strikerarm after the clearing of the striker from the gong-post.

My invention relates to an improvement in portable bells designed particularly to be used as bicycle-bells, but not limited to that use, the object being to produce at a low cost for manufacture a simple, compact, and durable double-stroke bell composed of few parts not liable to derangement and designed with par: ticular reference to convenience of operation and to sounding a clear ringing note.

With these ends in View my invention consists in a bell having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

In carrying out my invention I employ a spherical striker or hammer A, which is secured to the outer end of a flexible strikerarm A, consisting of a coil of wire, the coils of which are preferably in contact. The open outer end of this coil is set over a small supporting-finger B, formed upon the finger-lever B, which is pivotally hung upon a hammerstud B mounted in and near the edge of the base C of the bell. The said lever is provided with two stop-fingers b and b, respectively engaging with the stop-pinsb and b which are mounted in the said base on opposite sides of the hammer-stud B An actuating-spring D, encircling the upper end of the hammerstud, is secured thereto and engaged with the hammer-arm, so as to exert a constant effort to which said drawings constitute part of this stop-pin b hold the same in its normal position, in which it is represented in Fig. 2; The stop-fingers b and Z) and the stop-pins b and b are arranged so that the striker A will not make contact with the gong E unless the flexible hammer-arm is sprung and suddenly released and vibrated. For the purpose of so springing and suddenly releasing the hammer-arm I utilize the gongpost F, which I make in bent form, so as to employ the longest hammer-arm possible, the said post being yoke-shaped and provided at its outer end with a threaded stem F, which enters the threaded boss E, formed in the center of the gong. The inner end of the gongpost F is secured to the center of the base 0 in any approved manner, and the base C is provided with any effective clip, that shown consisting of an upper and a lower member G and G, united by a screw, but the form of the base and clip may be varied as desired. The flexible hammer-arm is so long that it will not normally clear the middle upright or offset portion of the gong-post F, but will engage with the same on either side thereof at the points a a.

In the normal condition of the bell the spring D, in its effort to uncoil, holds the finger-lever in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, with its stop-arm b engaged with the In this position of the finger-lever the striker is cleared from the gong and held out of engagement therewith by the flexible striker-arm, which although flexible is too stiff to respond enough to any jarring of the bell to allow the striker to touch the gong. To sound the bell, the outer end of the fingerlever is engaged by the rider and the lever, and hence the striker-arm, turned against the tension of the spring D, so as to engage the striker with the point a on the upright middle portion of the bent gong-post. The swinging of the finger-lever being continued, the flexible striker-arm is sprung, as shown in Fig. 3, until the arm has virtually been so reduced in length that the striker is allowed to suddenly free itself from the post, whereby the striker-arm is thrown into rapid vibration, as shown in Fig. 4, and the gong struck and sounded, notwithstanding the fact that the stop-finger b of the finger-lever strikes the stop-pin b in time to prevent the striker from touching the gong, and were it not for the fact that the striker-arm is carried beyond its normal reach by being thrown into vibration. The gong having thus been sounded, the finger-lever is let go by the rider, when the coiled spring D will assert itself to return the said finger -lever and striker-arm to their normal positions. Then on its return movement the striker engages with the bent post at the point a and is retarded until the flexible arm is sufficiently bowed and virtually shortened to allow it to pass the post, when it is again suddenly released and set into motion, so as to spring ahead and strike the gong on the opposite side of the post from what it first struck the gong. It will thus be seen that one Opera'- tion of the finger-lever secures a double stroke upon the bell. It is to be noted that this is a direct stroke upon the gong, from which a clear penetrating tone is secured.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes in the construction and arrangement of parts herein shown may be made, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to such construction, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a bell, the combination with a base and a gong, of a bent gong-post, a striker adapted to be engaged with the central upright portion of the said post, a flexible striker-arm to which the said striker is secured, a finger-lever pivotally connected to the said base, having the striker-arm connected with it, and constructed with two stop-fingers, and two stop-pins mounted in the base and coacting with the said stop-fingers.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVERETT ARTHUR SANFORD.

Witnesses:

E. S. FISH, R. A. SANFORD. 

